Supportive housing project named after civil rights leader Dolores Huerta opens in South LA
SOUTH LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and dignitaries on Thursday celebrated the grand opening of a permanent supportive housing project in Vermont Square.
Officials said this project is the first of its kind because it was made possible mostly through a private-sector fund. The apartment project was named after Dolores Huerta herself. Huerta said this is the solution to help with the fight against homelessness.
"I am so honored to be here today and to have this apartment building here named in my name... Here is the solution, right here," said Huerta. "We are seeing it. This can happen. It can only happen when everyone comes together to make it happen."
The housing building is on the corner of South Figueroa and 52nd Street and it's made out of shipping containers. It has 40 units, one will be for an onsite counselor and the other 39 units will be for the unhoused. It is one person per unit and it has a private living area, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. Mayor Bass said this is a step in the right direction.
"And it is a beautiful example of a public-private partnership. And this is what we need to see tenfold or twentyfold all across our city," said Bass.
The financial firm SDS Capital Group put nearly $7 million to make this happen. Officials said this model of the public and private sector coming together allowed for the financing and construction to happen quicker. Plus, it cost less than the traditional public housing developments.
"Because we are definitely showing the example of government coming together, good governance, the public sector coming together," said Huerta.
People will start moving in the next two weeks.
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